The War in Pictures V. [antikvár]

THE YEAR OF LIBERATION In the fifth year of the struggle against Nazi Germany, the enemy, until so recently the master of Europe, found himself on the defensive for the first time. The United Nations were now in a position to demonstrate their overwhelming superiority in strength on land, at sea and in the air. Both on the Russian front and in North Africa the German armies had suffered great and decisive defeats. In Europe itself—where the final blow was now eagerly awaited—the Nazi oppressors were finding it increasingly difficult and costly to quell the rising spirit of the patriot forces and underground movements in every country under their yoke. During the previous two years secret preparations had been going forward on a tremendous scale for the promised Anglo-American offensive against Hitler's " Fortress of Europe." In a series of important conferences held in Washington, Casablanca, Moscow and elsewhere, the leaders of Britain, the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union, together with their military advisers, planned what have since proved to be the most gigantic operations in the history of warfare. They planned these operations down to the last detail. The results of those long months of careful preparation, in which the British Prime Minister was the leading spirit, began to take shape with the landings in Sicily on 10 July, 1943. This virtually marked the opening of an all-powerful and continued offensive which was to liberate one oppressed country of Europe after another and bring the Allied armies right up to the gates of Germany itself in little more than twelve months. To a future historian, one of the most remarkable aspects of this period of the war now under review will be the degree of co-operation achieved by the United Nations. As the months went by, the value of the combined effort became clearly evident by the way in which the attacks launched from the south, east and west were perfectly dovetailed into the mighty plan that was gradually unfolding. Never had such unity and strength of purpose been forged between nations for the overthrow of a common enemy. The prelude to the battles for the liberation of Europe was the total defeat and annihilation of 3